


When a Wish Becomes a Promise: Year 1

by Luceetheelephant



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas, Elliot - Freeform, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Gender Neutral, Leah - Freeform, Multi, One Shot, Platonic Relationships, Winter's Star, holiday fluff, platonic fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29506851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luceetheelephant/pseuds/Luceetheelephant
Summary: After the Feast of the Winter Star, Leah invites Elliot and the farmer to her cottage for Christmas, so none of them have to spend the holidays alone.
Relationships: Leah x Reader - Relationship, elliot x reader
Kudos: 2





	When a Wish Becomes a Promise: Year 1

As Leah opened the oven door, the warm scent of ginger and molasses filled the air, adding a new layer of warmth to her tiny cottage. Snuggling in your place near the fire, you closed your eyes and let the aroma fill your nose, enjoying how the cozy fragrance intermingled with the wood from the crackling hearth. 

“These look perfect!”

She gestured for you to come take a look, and you and Elliot pushed yourselves off from the blanketed floor to join her in the kitchen corner. Leah was smiling from ear to ear as she peeled as off her oven mitts, taking in the gingerbread men in front of her. You peeped over her shoulder to take a look, and felt a proud beam spread across your face as well.

Despite accidentally dumping in too much brown sugar and confusing the baking powder for baking soda, she was right—the cookies you baked together looked delicious.

“They smell heavenly.” Elliot peered down from between the two of you and reached out to grab the nearest one, only to have his hand swatted away by Leah.

“They’re still hot, you doofus. Plus, we need to decorate them first.”

Retracting his hand, he hummed sadly, still gazing down at the cookies. “Well, I suppose I could wait.”

~~

Half an hour later, you were staring down at your gingerbread men with a half-empty piping bag in your hands. So far you’ve decorated two, bringing them to life through bright icing, peppermint candies, and mini gumdrops.

Except, you thought, they were probably better off in their blank slate.

Both cookies donned fiery orange frosting at the tips of their heads, the first one wearing it down its shoulders in wavy, child-like lines, while the other in what looked like a clumsy braid. They both had on what you’d attempted to be elaborate outfits, except all the colors muddled together in a blurry, sticky mess. Their large smiles were shakily piped on, bright red and splitting through their faces. Their empty black licorice eyes stared up at you ominously. 

You shuddered.

They looked terrible.

Elliot glanced over from his seat beside you, holding his own half-decorated cookie in his hands. “Oh (y/n), are you making gingerbread zombies? They look marvelous.”

You sighed, setting the pipe down. “Not exactly—they were supposed to be you and Leah, but I guess I used too much icing…” 

Elliot tilted his head, causing a stray lock of red hair to fall over his face—although he’d tied it up earlier to keep it from getting in the way of baking, the feeble bun was quickly starting to become undone. He gave it little notice, gracefully tucking it behind his ear before reaching for the cookie that was supposed to be his. He examined it over in his hands. “Oh!” You watched as he suddenly lit up, holding the gingerbread man up to you with a dimpled grin. “I see it now! You even added my favorite red jacket—look,” Elliot turned to show Leah, who was leaning in from across the table to get a better look. 

“Let me see mine.” 

You watched as Elliot handed her the second gingerbread man, getting no small amount of icing on his fingers in the process. Leah took it gratefully and turned it over in her hands before looking up at you with a grin. 

“The resemblance is uncanny.” She laughed as she held the cookie up to her face, sweeping a grandiose hand underneath it as if to prove her point. “I love it.” 

You grinned as you watched them, resting your arm on the table to prop up your chin, only to get icing on your cheek in the process. 

Chuckling lightly, Elliot reached over to wipe it off, only to smudge more icing on you. “Oh, sorry—hold on…” You laughed as he attempted to wipe it away again and still failing. Leah helpfully threw a kitchen towel your way, which he caught with ease. He was laughing as he handed it to you. “Since you made one for us, it’s only fair we create a gingerbread farmer for you as well.”

“I’m way ahead of ya!” Having set the cookie aside, Leah was already hunched over her next gingerbread man, swirling out icing with an expert hand. You could already tell it was going to be perfect.

~~~

The snow outside had long since begun to accumulate, and having filled yourselves up with candied gingerbread and buttery caramel cider, the three of you now sat beside the fireplace bundled up in soft blankets. You wrapped your fingers around your warm mug and took another sip, despite your stomach’s protest. Elliot and Leah did the same. No one said a word as you all stared out the window, enjoying the comfortable silence that had enveloped around you while getting lost in your own thoughts. 

It was rare that you savored a moment of stillness like this one—having lived in the city for most your life before moving to the bustling farmhouse, you were used to constant noise and movement. You used to think the quiet to be suffocating, but sitting here now with your friends underneath the twinkling fairy lights, this felt strangely peaceful.

Shifting your head, you turned toward them. Elliot sat perched up on the floor against the tiny bed-frame, wrapped up in the most blankets despite wearing a thick, black turtleneck sweater. His bun had been remade, and you couldn’t help but to think it looked as if his hair was glowing as the fire’s golden blaze reflected off of it. 

Leah was sitting beside him, the sleeves of her large green flannel covering half her fingers as she held her mug. Diverging from her usual braid, her bright orange hair ran down her back, creating a similar red halo as Elliot’s. Although a blanket covered her lap, you could see fuzzy green socks peeking out from underneath.

You wished you had a camera to capture this moment between the three of you, but you could only register it into memory. Eventually, the quiet spell was broken, for it finally was time to exchange gifts. 

Although Leah’s cottage was too small to hold an actual Christmas tree, a miniature pine was set up in the corner. You all crowded around it, eyeing at the gifts everyone placed underneath it when you first came in. 

“Alright, who’s first?” You and Elliot watched as Leah grabbed the first gift, a heavy rectangular one in red wrapping paper. Reading the label, she handed it to Elliot, who took it graciously. You grinned.

“That ones from me.”

Barely containing his excitement, Elliot unwrapped his gift, careful not to tear the paper. He let out a loud gasp when he saw what it was, eyes sparkling. 

Resting on his lap was a wooden box containing a collection of gleaming duck feathers in bright, iridescent emerald. They were all resting behind a glass frame and laid out against soft, red velvet. In the corner, you’d placed a delicate glass inkwell filled with midnight blue ink you’ve secured from some squid you fished early winter.

Elliot stared down at the homemade present, completely speechless. You couldn’t tell if it was a trick of the light or not, but you could swear his eyes began to water. Finally, he looked up at you, holding the case close. 

“This is such a lovely gift. I absolutely adore it, thank you.”

“Of course! I knew you liked quills and really, you should be thanking my ducks. They did most of the work.” 

Leah ran a hand over the shiny wood, holding her breath as she marveled over it. “It’s beautiful. You’re really setting the bar up high, huh?”

You let out an embarrassed laugh as she reached for the next present. This one was also from you, decorated in green wrapping paper. Seeing that it was for her, Leah let out a soft “ooh” as she began unwrapping it. She tore the paper away and lifted the lid from the cardboard box underneath—then immediately let out a loud squeal.

Resting in tissue paper was a bottle of ancient fruit wine that’s been aging in your cellar for the past year, making it iridium quality. Next to it was an assortment of bright colored paints packed in squat mason jars and tied with ribbon.

Leah pulled them out one by one, soaking each one in before she pulled you into a tight hug. 

“I love it!” Pulling away from the embrace, she grinned, still gripping your shoulders. “Did you make these yourself? Pierre definitely doesn’t sell paints like this—and this wine,” She reached over and picked it again, skimming over the label. “This must have cost a fortune!”

She handed the bottle to Elliot, who was trying to get a better look. “I thought ancient fruit was a myth,” he mused.

You shook your head, laughing. “I have some bushes growing in my greenhouse. I thought it was a myth too, but apparently not. Emily helped me make the paint,” you explain as you turned back to Leah, “She taught me how to turn the forages of the valley into dye. I thought it suited you well.”

“You thought right! This is perfect. Hold on, I’ll get some wine glasses…”

A few minutes later, each of you had a glass in hand, sipping wine as you laughed over the next few presents. Despite brewing it on your farm, you’ve never actually tried ancient fruit wine before—but you could immediately tell why it would be precious. It had a distinct but subtle taste to it, one that set it apart from anything else you’ve tried before. 

“Like home,” Elliot had described. You and Leah both agreed—in some incomprehensible way, it tasted like home. 

After Leah and Elliot opened their next gifts from each other, it was finally your turn. 

Leah handed you a parcel wrapped in brown package paper, and although it was small, it felt heavy in your grip. While you unraveled the ribbon, Leah explained that her and Elliot worked on your gift together, and that she hoped you liked it. They both eyed you nervously as you unwrapped the paper, leaning in with anticipation.

Sitting in your hands was a gleaming wooden box of dark oak, with your full name carved in careful cursive and filled with delicate gold paint. You let out a soft gasp as you ran a finger over the writing and shifted the box over to admire its craftsmanship. At the back corner was the name of your farm, scripted the same way your name was. The way the golden cursive sparkled in the fire’s warm light was mesmerizing, and you paused to stare at it. Then, turning the box over, you pushed open the lid.

A tiny carved figure of someone chopping wood slowly rose into view, spinning around lazily so that you could properly admire every careful detail. The figure was surrounded by a couple of trees, and had a small pet resting at its feet. You held your breath as you took it all in—from their hair to their clothes to their large, tattered backpack, the figure looked exactly like you.

Even more overwhelming was the soft music that escaped the box, filling the silent room with its melody. It was a sweet and gentle tune, one that made something in your chest well up. There was something so familiar and so incredibly nostalgic about it—something that brought you back to your childhood and to all the days before you began spending your Christmases alone.

It was beautiful.

“Goodness (y/n), are you alright?”

You looked up to see Elliot and Leah staring at you with startled faces. Without realizing it, you had started to tear up. 

You nodded as Leah shuffled closer to wipe away a stray tear with her thumb. Elliot handed you a tissue, which you took gratefully.

“It’s perfect. I don’t know why but… it reminded me of my grandpa. The last time I saw him was when he handed me that letter, years ago.” You shifted your gaze back to the music box, where the tiny figure was still spinning. “‘There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burden of modern life,’” you softly recited, recalling some of his last words to you. “I remember it like yesterday—that’s what he told me, and he was right. He’s the reason why I left the city, why I decided to move here.”

Leah and Elliot were quiet for a moment, pondering over your words. 

“I did write the composition for this song, but I haven’t named it yet,” Elliot finally spoke up, “Perhaps we should name it in your late grandfather’s honor—we wouldn’t have met it if it weren’t for him, after all.”

You nodded, liking the idea. “Grandpa’s Theme.” The name came immediately. It felt perfect for the melody.

“I like it,” Leah smiled. “You know, sometimes I forget how similar we all are. Leaving everything behind for a new, fresher way of life.” She pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “‘Crushed by the burden of modern life.’ That’s exactly why I moved here too.”

Elliot nodded, agreeing. “I never once thought I’d be living in a shack by the beach alone, but something about that sentiment simply compelled me. Then, I moved here, and I didn’t think I would make it.” He laughed, recalling his first few months in Stardew. “The floors kept filling with algae and the humidity was ruining my hair. But… I’d made my wish to become a writer into a promise. I wasn’t willing to turn my back on it so easily.”

“Hm. We all came here after deciding to make a promise out of our wishes,” Leah mused with a laugh. “It’s no wonder why the three of us work together so well.”

**Author's Note:**

> So I finally decided to start posting my work here! I do plan on posting more on shots, and maybe even a longer fic perhaps :D


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